Yesterday evening, west London hosted a family affair filled with rap royalty. And it unfolded as many family get-togethers do: in the most absurd, chaotic, and unforgettable way.
For one night only, US hip hop legend Diddy (formerly known as P Diddy), joined UK rapper Giggs for a fundraiser show like no other. There was a birthday cake, politicians, heaps of choreography, at least 10 guest performers, and inescapable clouds of marijuana smoke that should be taken into account when reading this review.
The O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire was a relatively intimate venue considering the significance of the event. Announced a week ago, it sold out almost immediately. Giggs & Diddy: One Night Only, follows the release of their recent single Mandem, which came out in August and marks their first collaboration.
An MC kickstarted the evening by declaring, "You don’t understand how colossal, how monumental this is tonight. Two icons together." Soon after, Giggs emerged on stage, opening with Rat-A-Tat, from his 2008 debut album Walk in Da Park. To some surprise, the next person to follow him on stage was not Diddy. Instead, the first in a long list of guest acts: Peckham rapper Kyze, who features on the same song.
Ten songs and three guest performers later, everything went dark. Having hyped up the crowd with hits including Look What The Cat Dragged In, Whippin Excursion, and Drake song KMT, Giggs was beginning to feel like a Diddy’s support act. The US rapper finally appeared wearing a white Givenchy bomber jacket and diamond chain the size of his fist; his opening track was Victory.
Diddy continued by feeding us a string of nostalgic hits including One More Chance, Bad Boy for Life and I’ll Be Missing You. Giggs remerged briefly to surprise Diddy with cake and candles – since he celebrated his 54th birthday earlier this week – then again later, to perform Mandem together. Mostly, they only appeared together on stage in short, scattered moments.
At different points, both artists brought their sons on stage to perform with them. Diddy’s son, 25-year-old rapper King Combs, almost stole the entire show with his slick choreography and twinkling smile. Diddy described performing in London alongside him as one of the greatest moments of his life.
The guest that received the loudest roar by far, though, was Shyne – legendary rapper, and also, current leader of the opposition in the Belize House of Representatives. "He’s gonna be the future Prime Minister of Belize," Diddy assured us.
Ending with a moment that's near impossible to forget, both entourages and every single guest star rejoined the two legends on stage as Giggs performed Talkin the Hardest. From beginning to end it was an unpredictable, logistical nightmare, that resulted in microphone failures and a surreal soup of unexpected events.
This marriage of US and UK Rap may only last one night. But what a mind blowing night it was.
